The Facebook post reads, “This morning members of New Fairfield’s Fire Departments along with mutual aid departments responded to a residential structure fire. The homeowners and family dog are all doing well.

“The photos are a great example of the importance of keeping bedroom doors closed while sleeping. The door pictured in both photos is a hollow core door to a bedroom.

“While the front of the door is severely damaged the closed door protected the bedroom and its contents. If this were an occupied bedroom the closed door could have saved a life.

“The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation and believed to be accidental in nature.”

Bedtime safety tips

Along with keeping your bedroom door closed at night, firefighters recommend carrying out a few simple safety checks before going to sleep.

London Fire Brigade advise keeping this bedtime checklist in mind to help minimise the risk of a house fire:

Close all your internal doors to prevent smoke spreading if a fire starts

Turn off and unplug electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on – like your fridge or freezer

Don’t leave the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher on overnight and unattended

Don’t leave mobile phones, tablets or e-cigarettes charging overnight

Check that your hob and oven switches are all off

Turn heaters off, rake out fires and put a fire guard in place

Put candles, incense sticks and oil burners out and never leave them burning when you are asleep

Make sure cigarettes are completely out – wet them to be sure

Never smoke in bed – it’s best to quit but, if you can’t, swap for an e-cigarette

Make sure escape routes are clear of anything that may slow you down

Keep door and window keys where everyone you live with can find them

If you or anyone else in the home has mobility issues, ensure mobility aids and methods of calling for help (like emergency pendants) are close to hand in case help is needed to assist with an escape